


The Skin You were Born in

by inuyashamunkey



Series: Yuri!!! on Runway 2018 submissions [4]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Bare-face shoot au, Designer!Yakov, Designer!Yuri, Insecure Katsuki Yuuri, M/M, Married Couple, Model AU, Model!Phichit, Model!Yuuri, News Media, Phichit needs some love, Phichit thinks he looks like a cow, Phichit with vitiligo, Yuuri and Viktor are married, Yuuri disagrees, Yuuri needs love, Yuuri with chronic acne, magazine, photographer!Viktor, yuri on runway day 7
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-22
Updated: 2018-10-22
Packaged: 2019-08-05 19:35:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16373744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inuyashamunkey/pseuds/inuyashamunkey
Summary: Phichit is a model with vitiligo and struggles with his confidence.Yuuri is a model with chronic acne and struggles with his confidence.Viktor is just there to be a supportive husband and shoot their best sides.





	The Skin You were Born in

Yuuri had never been more nervous for a shoot. Never. He'd been modeling since he was twelve so he figured that at twenty-two pre-shoot nerves should've been gone by now. He tried to convince himself he was overthinking it.

This was a shoot like any other, or so he tried to tell himself. In all truth, though, it wasn't, this wasn't going to be like any photoshoot he'd ever been in.

Ever since he'd started modeling, every single photographer had hired a makeup artist to cover any imperfections on his face to make him look like a pristine Asian doll that people could idolize. He'd always been made to look like something untouchable, beautiful, and flawless.

But Yuuri as _Yuuri_ wasn't beautiful or flawless, he wasn't anywhere near as gorgeous as those who photographed him made him seem; he was just average and flabby, uninteresting, and easily forgotten.

This shoot would make or break his career. It was true for any bare-faced shoot, but especially when Yuuri had been so careful to make sure his skin, usually irreparably flawed, looked perfect on the covers of magazines.

His fans would find out that he'd been lying about his perfection. Yuuri felt like he might throw up.

A hand on his shoulder shook him from his musings and he looked up at his husband-slash-photographer who was looking at him with a concerned gleam, "Are you okay, my love?"

Yuuri gave him a weak smile, "Nervous."

"It's nothing you haven't done before, my lovely, just smile for the camera and show the world how beautiful you are," Viktor said, ever the optimist.

"I'm not--like this," Yuuri gestured vaguely to his face which was covered in round, entrenched scars; Some old, some new.

Viktor grasped his hand, "You're beautiful in every single way, your acne isn't a blemish, my darling, its a blessing from the gods, they worried if they gave you smooth skin on top of everything else, you'd outshine the rest of the world," he kissed his hand, "but you've never let that stop you."

Yuuri smiled, pecking Viktor on the lips in thanks. "I'll do my best. Is...is Phichit still coming?"

"Of course!" Viktor said, nodding. "He should be here already if you'd like to go and find him before your shoot,"

Yuuri stood, "Yeah, I think I'll go do that and let you set up your things in peace. See you in a bit,"

Yuuri left Viktor to set up his equipment and moved through the studio, heading towards the back where the dressing rooms were located. The dressing rooms were usually his best bet when it came to finding his wayward friend.

Sure enough, Yuuri saw his friend talking to one of the designers, his arms wrapped around himself in an act of uncharacteristic nervousness. 

Startlingly, Yuuri realized that Phichit was struggling just as much as he was, if not more.

Yuuri rested a hand on his friend's shoulder, making him jump. Once Phichit saw who it was, he gave a smile that was shaky at best. "Hey," Yuuri said, "how are you feeling?" 

Phichit shrugged. "Okay. Sort of. Nervous, really." He gestured to the designer whom Yuuri had never met, "This is Yakov, he's here to make sure I look stunning tonight," he said, trying and failing to fit his false bravado into his voice.

Phichit reached a hand up to scratch at a patch of pale white skin. Yuuri slapped his hand down without a word, listening as the designer started speaking. "I'm Yakov Feltsman, Yuri Plisetsky's mentor,"

Yuuri's designer's mentor? Yuuri smiled and stuck a hand out for the man to shake. "It's nice to meet you. I suppose I can trust that you've taught your protege well?"

The man grunted looking off to the side. "The kid's got a bad attitude, but he can play dress-up fine, I guess."

Yuuri withered a bit on the inside. that wasn't the vote of confidence he was looking for. Suddenly, the man's eyes lit up like a moth on fire and he yelled, "Yuri! Put that down!" before barreling past Yuuri.

Yuuri looked at Phichit with wide eyes. "This is hopeless," Phichit said. "My designer is a maniac and I look like a cow."

"You don't look like a _cow,_ " Yuuri said, offended by the comparison.

Phichit gestured to his face, "I can't think of anything else with brown and white spots like these, Yuuri. Face it, I look like a cow."

Yuuri shook his head insistently. "You really don't, Phichit, you look amazing, just like you always do. You just look more _you_ like this. It's always a little weird to see the light patches of your skin covered up during shoots, honestly."

It didn't help.

"How would you feel if I said that about your acne?" Phichit asked in a low sigh. Yuuri winced. It wouldn't feel nice.

"Sorry," Yuuri apologized, "I just don't know what to do to make you feel better about this."

Phichit sat on a nearby bench, drawing his knees up to his chest and resting his cheek on them, "Nothing, I just need to get through this," Phichit said. He gave Yuuri a weak smile, "Thank you, though."

Yuuri patted his shoulder. "You'll do fine, I promise. I'll be right there with you. We'll suffer together." They both laughed softly, but the tension in the air was still dense.

~

"The latest issue of the country's favorite fashion magazine, _Inspiration_ , took the world by storm this past weekend," The news lady said, holding up the cover of said issue. 

Yuuri looked over at Phichit, seeing his gnawing on his nails.

"On the cover, you see Phichit Chulanont, one of _Inspiration's_ top models, with a skin condition known as vitiligo. Usually, the model is complimented on his smooth, chocolate-colored skin, but this week people are up in arms. Is this skin condition real? Or is it just makeup? 1-2-3 news wrote Viktor Nikiforov, head photographer at _Inspiration_ , to find out." The lady moved to the side, letting the camera see the text on the screen.

" _'Every model in this shoot was completely makeup free,'_ Nikiforov promised, _'Phichit's skin is just as authentic as Yuuri Katsuki's or Mila Babicheva's. This shoot was meant to spread the message that nobody has perfect skin, not even the models of_ Inspiration _magazine, and that shouldn't be something anyone is ashamed of.'_ " The lady turned back to the camera. 

She gestured to the screen, "This wasn't all. We then followed up with asking about how he felt about the comments on his husband's, Yuuri Katsuki's, complexion, something which has also been a hot topic with many differing opinions. This is what he had to say:"

" _'My husband is the strongest person I know-'_ " Yuuri blushed, leaning into Viktor's arm, " _'-he's always struggled in having confidence in his skin and while the hate has been present, the support has been absolutely overwhelming. It saddens me to think that some believe that the blemishes on his skin make him any less beautiful, but it brings me the utmost joy to hear how others suffering just like him see him as an inspiration for going bare-faced, something many with the same problem fear to do. I have never been more proud.'_ "

"Well, ladies and gentlemen, that seems to be that. Phichit Chulanont was _not_ wearing makeup for the shoot and seems to genuinely have vitiligo; those who cried _'disrespect!'_ this past week can cool down. Next up, Otabeck Altin's new boo? More after the break." The image switched to a commercial.

Phichit let out his breath in a rush of air. "That...wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be."

Yuuri rubbed his arm, "See? I told you it would be fine,"

Viktor kissed the crown of Yuuri's head, "Both of you did marvelously, I'm very proud."

**Author's Note:**

> Visit me on Tumblr @one-trigger-lullaby


End file.
